


Practice Match

by redninjalass19



Category: Eyeshield 21, Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Crossover, Gen, Monta just wants to make some money, One Shot, Sena is a speedy boi, Sena is a third year, Sena just wants to play football, Sena vs Kagami, Suzana just wants some lunch, Who is constantly dragged into trouble by his friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:42:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24257593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redninjalass19/pseuds/redninjalass19
Summary: A miscommunication and a meddling cheerleader lead Sena to an encounter with the visiting basketball team, Seirin.
Relationships: Kobayakawa Sena & Raimon "Monta" Tarou, Kobayakawa Sena & Taki Suzuna
Comments: 6
Kudos: 32





	Practice Match

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Eyeshield 21 or Kuroko no Basuke; they belong to Riichiro Inagaki and Tadatoshi Fujimaki respectively.
> 
> I am making no profit from this story, it is only for entertainment.
> 
> So Eyeshield 21 is my No. 1 manga series of all time and it's always been in my head about how Sena would come across to other sports manga characters. This has been lying about in my documents folder for about a year now so I thought I would post it.
> 
> Hope you enjoy this one shot.

The sound of squeaking sneakers and thumping balls ricocheted off the walls of the highly arched gym, the stench of sweat suffocating the space. Shouts and grunts were traded around the courts as the Seirin team trained, coordinating their attacks and practicing their three-pointers.

Riko strode into the hall, a piece of paper wafting in her hands. She watched the team for a moment before pulling out her whistle and blowing, alerting the boys of her presence. Hyuga halted the practice game, the team turning to look at their young coach.

“We have another practice match,” she announced, stopping on the outskirts of the court.

“Are they strong?” Kagami demanded, wiping his forehead with his shirt.

Riko looked back down at the paper in her hand, reading over the stats one more time.

“Not really, they don’t usually make it past the second round,” she mused, looking back up at the team and spotting them exchanging dubious glances.

“But don’t we need a challenge if we are going to win the Winter Cup?” Kagami frowned.

Hyuga hit the first year over the head and glared at the rest of his teammates.

“Don’t be ungrateful. Riko got this match for us and we will play as we always do,” He folded his arms, daring them to disputed this.

“Just because they don’t win doesn’t mean they won’t be a challenge. Not only will this give you more experience but you can apply what you have been practicing to a real game scenario,” Riko pointed out. “The train leaves tomorrow at 09:30 and the match is at 12:00. Don’t be late and don’t get cocky.”

There was a wave of nods before they turned back to their practice game, their movements sharper than before in anticipation of the upcoming match.

“What is the name of the school?” a quiet voice asked, causing Riko to flinch in surprise.

She looked beside her to see a mop of pale blue hair and she smiled at him.

“Deimon,” she answered.

Kuroko nodded and rejoined the others.

* * *

Sena passed through the halls of Deimon, heading towards the football field. Since he became a third year, he had to give up club activities which meant no more high school football and no more Devil Bats. He still found excuses to drop by and help however he could but it still felt strange not to be on the field, fighting with his friends to victory.

Hiruma, Kurita and the others from the different teams had moved onto university, with some like Mizumachi and Riku being able to participate in a third year of high school football. Sena still practiced out of school with Monta, Taki and the rest in his year and they were able to get a few mock games, but he missed the thrill of competition, the danger of losing just once.

He would be heading off to Notre Dame in the fall to finish his third year and he was still trying to wrap his head around it. He could never have imagined back when Hiruma had first forced him into a match that the lies he had told would come true. He’d be back for university but he couldn’t imagine the teams that would be formed then, with all the people he’d faced in high school mixed up between the universities.

The Devil Bats would be facing Zokugaku at 11:00 for a practice match before the summer started, after finishing third in the spring tournament. The new team was even more determined now and being in America wouldn’t stop him from watching them win it all. Panther had mentioned last time they spoke that he found a good streaming site he could.

“SE-NA!” a voice yelled from behind him.

He turned to see Suzana rolling towards him, already in her cheerleading uniform. Since she was from a different school and this was her own time, she could still actively participate with the Devil Bats. He blushed faintly as he noticed how much she had grown into her uniform over the past couple of years.

“Suzana?” he asked hesitantly, wondering what kind of trouble she had in store today.

He was mostly sure she didn’t do it on purpose, but somehow Sena was always dragged into something when she called his name like that. She shot past him, grabbing the sleeve of his blazer as she passed, proceeding to drag him towards the school entrance. Sena yelped and desperately tried to get his feet beneath him.

“The basketball team scheduled a practice match for the same time as the football game, but since they wanted to go and see the game plus they knew that we might borrow a couple since it’s Zokagaku, they rearranged the time for the game to 14:30; but they forgot to tell the team that was coming,” she rambled, the words spilling from her mouth in rapid succession. “So the other team from Seirin is due to arrive at the train station in ten minutes and no one is there to greet them or tell them about the change in times, so they are going to be clueless and Deimon will be seen as rude and they will have no idea where to go.”

Sena finally got his footing and ran alongside her, taking in about half of the information thrown at him.

“So where do I fit into this? And how did you get involved with the basketball team?”

Suzana continued to drag him along.

“When I was heading to the field just now I walked past the captain shouting about it. They need you to run to the station and meet them, since the station is like ages away and only you could make it in time and as a result we both get free lunch for a week. Plus it’s not like you have a game today so you have the energy to spare so go get us free lunch,” Suzana chirped, letting go as they reached the entrance.

Sena stumbled, just managing to stop himself from faceplanting. He stood and shot an annoyed glance back at Suzana, straightening his sleeve. He continued to look at her and eventually, he sighed. He could never really say no to her plus he had been thinking that he wanted to use up some of the energy he couldn’t burn on the field.

“Fine, but we don’t really need the free lunch,” Sena agreed, bending to secure his shoes. His school uniform wasn’t ideal to run in but he could make do.

“Yes, we do.” A look reminiscent of Hiruma appeared in her eyes. “Now go! I will save a spot on the sideline for when you get back,” she continued, making shooing motions with her hands.

Sena turned and headed out the school gates, building up his pace in the direction of the train station. Hopefully they’d be late.

* * *

The train pulled into the Deimon station exactly on time.

The group of boys stepped off the train and stuck together, making their way to the entrance. Once outside, Riko took attendance to make sure none had wandered off during the journey. Once they were all sorted she looked around, trying to spot a member of Deimon.

She had been told that she was either looking for someone in a red sports uniform or a turquoise blazer. She saw no sign of anyone when she noticed a cloud of dust that was making its way towards them. A sudden wind swept into their faces as she saw a dark shape come to a sudden halt. Their vision cleared enough for the team to see a figure walking towards them.

He was small for a high school student, though he was not much smaller than Kuroko. His uniform was disheveled; his black tie resting over one of his shoulders and his turquoise blazer sat crooked. The black trousers and shoes were covered with a film of dust. He had brown hair that spiked everywhere although Riko couldn’t tell if it was from whatever had ruffled this clothes or it was spiky by nature. His breathing was almost perfectly even.

Riko’s eyes roamed his body, much like she did to every athlete. Decent upper body strength but his legs were the prize. Their stats were beyond anything she had seen on any team and it was blatantly obvious the boy was built for speed. The boy must have been some kind of sprinter and an excellent one at that, but she couldn’t tell anything more through the uniform.

Chocolate brown eyes scanned them, as if assessing them as opponents. They seemed to glow green for a moment before he stooped into a bow, suddenly appearing timid. It must have been a trick of the light.

“I am really sorry if you have been kept waiting long, you’re Seirin right? Due to play at Deimon today?” he asked, raising his head to look at them.

“Yes, we’re Seirin and you must be from Deimon. I’m Aida Riko and I’m the coach for the team,” Riko replied. Hyuga stepped forward to stand beside her.

“I’m Hyuga Junpei, Captain.”

“I’m Kobayakawa Sena, but please call me Sena. I’ll guide you to the school.”

The boy turned the way he had come and began to walk, glancing back to make sure they were following. He fixed his uniform as he walked, briefly checking his phone.

“So are you on the team?” Riko asked, curious about him. The rest of the team was chatting in low tones behind them.

“No, at Deimon we have to quit our clubs at the start of our third year so to better concentrate on our studies. So I retired after the last Christmas Bowl,” Sena replied, pocketing his phone

“Christmas Bowl? But the basketball finals are called the Winter Cup?” spoke up Kagami from behind them, making no attempt to hide the fact he had been listening.

Sena’s face twisted in confusion before something clicked.

“Oh, sorry, I don’t play basketball. It was the football team I had to quit,” he explained quickly, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. “It’s always football people talk to me about so it didn’t occur to me that you’d mean basketball. Sorry for the confusion.”

Riko stared at him. He was talking to a basketball team; she thought it was obvious what they were meaning. Football though, that rang a bell. Her father might have dealt with players of the sport when she was younger.

“That was actually why I was sent instead of one of the actual members. Your practice match has been moved to 14:30 due to a football game at 11:00.” Sena clarified. “It was so last minute that I had to run to catch you guys.”

“But football is played outside and basketball is inside. Why are they clashing?” Hyuga asked, his eyebrow twitching in annoyance.

“The football team sometimes borrows supporting players from the basketball team. I don’t think they are actually playing but we need them just in case. In our last match against Zokugaku, there were more than a few players who had to go to the hospital,” Sena shrugged, appearing to think this was completely normal.

Riko heard a few of the players wincing behind her. Kagami picked up this pace, coming to walk beside Sena. The difference in height between them was almost laughable, but the older boy did not seem nervous as she thought he might by the way he had acted at the station.

“I remember football from when I was in America. You played that sport?” Kagami demanded, ignoring the glare Riko sent him.

Sena looked up at Kagami, nodding his head absentmindedly.

“Yes, until this year. I still try to help out wherever I can but I can’t do much for them.”

Kagami snorted, causing Sena to look back at him. The redhead smirked down at the senior, doubt obvious in his features.

“A weakling like you? You are way too small to play in that kind of game.”

“Kagami!” Riko hissed.

“You said the same of me about basketball, Kagami-kun,” a voice added, causing the Seirin members to jump.

“Kuroko! Stop doing that!” Kagami shouted at the smaller boy.

Kuroko just stared at Kagami before switching his gaze to Sena, whom was smiling at the interaction. The blue haired boy’s face remained as expressionless as ever but there was a curious light in his eyes. Riko, having managed to control her heartbeat from the shock, also turned to stare at Sena. The brunet glanced back at them, confused.

“You didn’t jump when Kuroko appeared,” Hyuga said slowly.

“He was always beside Kagami though,” Sena frowned. “It wasn’t really a surprise.”

The entire team stopped talking to look at the third year.

“Kuroko has an extremely low presence, so most don’t notice him. How did you?” Riko explained, still wondering how Sena had known Kuroko was there. They were his teammates and the ghostly boy was still surprising them.

“In my first year, we had a player on the team a bit like Kuroko-san. Nobody really noticed Ishimaru so he could be used in plays which relied on the other team ignoring him. So I guess I’m just used to it?” Sena offered, shrugging his shoulders.

They continued walking though this time in silence with some of the team muttering among themselves. Kagami and Kuroko dropped back, sensing the danger radiating from Riko. Soon they came to a pair of school gates and Sena turned to them awkwardly.

“I’ll take you to the basketball captain. He should be at the outside field since the game has already started.”

They continued to follow the senior, making their way around the school building to reach a large, green field. Red clashed with green and there was a collective wince from Seirin as they saw one of the red guys get buried.

“Wakanari-san!” Sena called out, singling out a student from the crowd of spectators.

There were a lot of people there for just a practice match, Riko thought. She spotted several cameras and people taking notes, watching the match way more intensly than she was used to seeing. The black-haired boy jogged over, sweeping his hair out his face and stopping just short of Sena.

“Eyeshield-senpai, I am so sorry to inconvenience you, especially on a game da, and we swear we will uphold our promise of free lunches for you and Suzana-senpai,” the boy stammered out, his blue eyes glancing occasionally at Seirin.

“It’s okay, and you really don’t have to do the lunch thing.” Sena waved his hands awkwardly before looking over the captain’s shoulder towards the field.

He turned back to Seirin and gave them another bow.

“Thank you for your patience and I shall leave you with Wakanari-san.” He pivoted and jogged towards the red team’s bench, heading towards one of the waving cheerleaders. 

The Deimon basketball captain turned to Seiren, bowing his head.

“I am Wakanari Shouta and I am very sorry for the trouble we have caused you. Had we known that we would be playing Zokugaku today, we would have scheduled appropriately. Please follow me, we have a space cleared for you to watch the game,” Wakanari continued, leading them to a clear spot in the grass.

The team settled down as the match continued, the crowd shouting out random names and numbers. Riko looked over at Sena, who was watching the match from the sideline.

“Why’d you call him Eyeshield?” Kagami blurted, looking at Deimon’s captain.

The captain looked at him, his eyes widening at the size of the first year. He cleared his throat and pointed towards the field.

“It’s his title, Eyeshield 21. It is a title granted to the fastest football player, a tradition taken from Notre Dame,” he explained.

“So what if he is kind of fast? He’s tiny; he would get smashed out there,” Kagami scoffed, ducking his head as Hyuga smacked him.

“Hard to crush someone when you can’t even touch him. This game would have been over by now if he was playing,” Wakanari continued confidently.

Kagami crossed his arms scowling.

“I don’t see what the big deal is with him,” he frowned, watching as Sena was assaulted by something resembling a monkey.

Seirin settled down as the match continued, curious about the rough sport. Koga flinched as one of the Deimon players were tackled into their home bench with his opponent. Although their attention was on the game, watching as the strangely shaped ball was thrown and run up and down the field, some shot glances Sena as the older student watched the game with a frown, occasionally speaking to the short old man sitting on the righted bench. The monkey boy beside him had settled down, also watching the ongoing match intently.

Riko turned to Wakanari, a thoughtful expression on her face.

“This seems a bit serious for a practice match,” she commented, eyeing the cameras next to the field.

Wakanari followed her gaze and nodded, as if it were nothing unusual.

“There are always scouts from the other teams during the practice matches. Ever since Eyeshield-senpai and the rest of his year retired, there hasn’t been as many, but they still like to keep a tab on Deimon and most want to see how they do without Eyeshield-senpai,” he explained.

“They came to see Sena-san’s year?”

“They came to see Eyeshield-senpai, to try and gather information on him so they could work out strategies to beat him in the future, but Monta-senpai and the rest of them were also incredible in their own right,” he nodded, his attention back on the field.

Riko nodded, processing his words. So the team was pretty good from what the other student had been saying and Sena used to be some kind of ace.

“Was he really that good?” Hyuga piped up, looking at Wakanari.

Wakanari puffed out his chest slightly with pride.

“He’s the best in Japan. Deimon won the overall football championship, the Christmas Bowl, and Eyeshield-senpai was awarded MVP of Japan. In his first year. Not even Ojo or Seibu could stop him in the last fall tournament, although Shin almost had him.” Wakanari affirmed. “It’s going to weird when he goes to Notre Dame this fall though.”

Riko and Hyuga looked down at the field once more, their gaze focused on the seemingly plain boy at the sideline.

* * *

The football game finished with Deimon’s victory although not without several injuries.

Sena had congratulated the team as they made their way to the locker room, Monta doing the same. They had won but they still needed quite a bit of work, especially the first years. Hopefully the summer training would sort out the issues that had come up in the spring tournament and they could take the fall by storm.

Both he and Monta had stayed back several hours longer than they had to, going over the game with Doburoku and squeezing in some practice of their own. It was about four in the afternoon when they started heading for home, walking past the indoor gyms. Spotting the team from the morning packing up inside the gym, he waved as they came near.

“Who’re they?” Monta asked, his face scrunching in suspicion.

“They’re the team I collected from the train station this morning,” Sena replied. “The basketball team.”

“Suzana was saying something about that before the match started,” Monta nodded, still narrowing his eyes at the other school.

A few of the players were having what looked like a mini-game and the pair stopped at the door to watch. One of the balls rebounded off the edge of the hoop, shooting towards the Deimon students. The members of the mini-game shouted at the pair; those who were not used to the balls could get hurt.

Monta eyed the ball before jumping and catching, holding the ball between his large hands.

“Catch, MAX! Wow, this ball is way different than ours,” he commented, turning the ball over in his hands.

Kagami and Hyuga jogged over to the seniors.

“How did you catch that? It was going out the gym.” Hyuga took the ball from Monta’s offered hands, holding it against his hip.

“I can catch anything. After all, being one of the best receivers in Japan you have to learn to adapt,” Monta puffed, his chest expanding in pride.

“You don’t have to tell everyone you meet, Monta,” Sena sighed.

“You,” Kagami interrupted, pointing at Sena.

Three pairs of eyes turned to stare at him, Sena’s wide in surprise.

“Kagami-san, was it?”

“I want to face you. I heard you’re a big deal and I want to test it,” Kagami demanded.

Hyuga face palmed, while Sena looked that the tall first year in confusion, missing the glint that appeared in Monta’s eyes.

“Sena will happily accept.”

Sena’s head snapped round to glare at his friend.

“Though since we play different sports how about you just try to catch him?” he continued, smirking at his timid counterpart. “Like a game of tag?”

“So what, I just have to stop him?” Kagami asked.

“We’ll make it a bit easier and say you only have to touch him,” grinned Monta, ignoring the familiar exasperation coming from his best friend.

“What? Easier?” Kagami argued. “I don’t need easier.”

“Sena starts at one end of the gym and you have to tag him before he reaches the opposite line. No balls involved and you can tackle him as much as you want,” Monta proposed, completely ignoring Kagami’s protest.

“Monta!” “Kagami!”

Monta looked at Sena, raising a large eyebrow.

“It’d be cool to see if the Ghost would work against other sports,” he offered. “Plus I know you’ve been dying for a challenge since the others went off to university.”

Sena sighed heavily, wondering how he was still being dragged into things even two years later. He tapped Hyuga’s shoulder, interrupting his rant at the redhead.

“It’s alright, Hyuga-san. I’m sure once wouldn’t hurt.”

Seirin and Monta gathered at the side of the court, watching the two. Monta already looked smug, smirking as the redhead called out to the senior.

“Ready, _Eyeshield_?”

Sena just transferred his weight to the balls of his feet.

Monto leaned over to Seirin.

“Want to make a bet?” he suggested. “Thousand yen, Sena wins without Kagami moving a muscle.”

“You’re on,” Koga agreed, flinching at the sharp look his captain shot him for the wager.

“Ready? GO!” Riko bellowed.

There was a blur of movement as Sena darted forward, straight towards the first year. Kagami spread his feet wide and opened his wide arms, waiting. Seirin watched with wide eyes as the senior passed Kagami as if he weren’t there, as if he passed straight through him. There was no time to react. Kagami was frozen in place for a few moments as Sena walked back towards Monta.

“What was that?” Kagami asked, subdued and still in the same place.

“Devil Bat Ghost,” Sena replied, saying his goodbyes to the rest of the team as he and Monta left the gym.

As the pair exited, Seirin could hear Monta offer to treat Sena, mentioning that he’d come across a thousand yen.


End file.
